Process for reducing the levels of organic solvents in carbapenem compounds

摘要

Disclosed is a process for reducing the levels of organic solvents in a crystalline carbapenem to pharmaceutically acceptable levels, comprising washing the crystalline carbapenem containing organic solvent with an organic solvent containing water to produce a washed carbapenem solid containing residual organic solvent; and evaporating the residual organic solvent in the washed carbapenem solid using vacuum and/or inert gas at low temperature to produce a crystalline carbapenem solid containing pharmaceutically acceptable levels of residual organic solvents, is maintained at about 13% to about 25% during the process. Also disclosed is a process for making a novel crystalline hydrate, Form C of the compound of formula IIa, comprising washing a crystalline carbapenem of Form A or Form B with an organic solvent selected from methyl acetate, acetone or a mixture thereof containing water and isolating crystalline hydrate Form C of the carbapenem solid formula IIa.